Ronaldo Souza vs. Robbie Lawler
The fight was for the Strikeforce middleweight championship with Ronaldo Souza defending. The Fight The first round began and they touched gloves. Four thirty-five. The crowd was booing already. Souza missed a high kick. Four fifteen. Lawler missed a flying knee and they clinched. Four minutes. Souza got a single to the butterflies. Souza passed to side control. Three thirty-five. Souza landed some short right hands. Three fifteen. Souza was isolating the arm for a kimura. Three minutes as Souza passed to the other side. Two thirty-five. Lawler stood into a standing guillotine arm-in. Two fifteen as Lawler broke out nicely there. Souza landed a right hand. Lawler kneed the face. Souza missed a high kick. Two minutes as Lawler rocked Souza with a flying knee. Souza blocked a high kick. Lawler dropped Souza with a right hook and followed him to guard. One thirty-five. One fifteen. 'Jacaro.' One minute. Thirty-five. The ref stood them up, good call. Fifteen as Lawler landed a body kick. Lawler stuffed a single to the clinch. Souza got a double as the first round ended. Lawler had a welt over his right eye, a scrape from the glove. The second round began and they touched gloves. Four thirty-five. Lawler landed an inside kick. Lawler stuffed a single to the clinch. Souza got a nice double. Four fifteen. Souza mounted in sitting position against the cage. Four minutes. Lawler regained half-guard. Souza landed some rights. Three thirty-five left. Souza landed more right hands. Three fifteen. Souza worked an arm triangle. He let it go as Lawler regained butterflies. Souza passed to side control. Three minutes. Souza worked another kimura. He went to north-south. Souza landed a pair of left elbows to the body. He went back to side control. Two thirty-five left. Souza landed some right hands and hammerfists. Lawler smiled. Two fifteen. Souza landed more right hammerfists. The crowd booed. Lawler regained half-guard. Two minutes. Souza passed into side control there. One thirty-five. Souza landed right hammerfists. He tried to mount and landed two rights. He passed to side control. One fifteen. Souza got a time check. He stepped over for a leglock. He landed a big left hammerfist and another. Three rights. One minute as Souza turned standing. He came down, they scrambled. Souza had an armbar. Lawler was defending. He escaped back to side control. Thirty-five remaining. Souza stepped over for another armbar. He had it. Lawler passed to side and Souza closed the guard. The crowd loved it. Fifteen. The second round ended. The third round began. They clinched. Souza kneed the face twice. He kneed the body twice. Two more. Souza worked a single. Four thirty-five. Souza tried the trip. Lawler has good balance here. He needs to get off the cage. Souza let it go. Four fifteen. Souza kneed the body. Souza got a double nearly defended. Four minutes. Lawler closed half-guard. Lawler was trying to stand. Souza kneed the body. Three thirty-five as Lawler stood and Souza swept the leg and had the back. Souza had both hooks. He's fucked. Souza had the body triangle. Three fifteen. Souza had the choke. No, it's not in completely. He has it. Three minutes as Lawler tapped.